Day 10 — The road (1-3-1 this trip) isn’t as kind to the Sharks as it once was, plus off-day odds and ends

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Since the lockout, the Sharks have earned a reputation as road warriors. This year, to trot out a second over-used catch-phrase, not so much.

The successful trend actually started under Ron Wilson, whose 2007-08 team finished 27-10-4 for 58 points away from home, best in the NHL.

But Todd McLellan steered the team to an average of 50 points on the road his first three seasons, pretty impressive by league standards. This year, overall, the Sharks are 13-10-5, a record that projects out to 45 points, a drop-off of note if not major concern.

But if you look at just the past 10 games away from HP Pavilion, the alarms do go off as San Jose is 2-6-2 – precisely double the 1-3-1 that is their record five-ninths of the way through this current trip.

“We’ve looked at those numbers, too,” McLellan said when I brought up the subject today. The more recent losses, St. Louis game excepted, have been by “one goal for the most part,” the coach said.

“We’re not that far off, but we’re off,” he continued. “We now look at the overall road game – Are we using our minutes properly? Do we create momentum? Do we keep it? Are we bearing down in situations that are essential – whether it’s offensively or defensively?

“I think there are a number of players who can do a better job in that area and can do a better job,” McLellan said. “That’s the trick, to get them to do it. We’ll keep pushing.”

Players such as Joe Pavelski are well aware of the drop-off on the road, too.

“This stretch hasn’t helped us,” he said, referring to the current trip. “If we win these games, were a little bit closer to where we should be.

“It’s just a moment-to-moment thing where you can’t back off because we have been really good on the road and we expect to be really good on the road,” Pavelski continued. “Your games on the road, you’ve got to win them to hopefully have home ice in the playoffs.”

******Colin White has played better in some stretches than others this season and lately he’s had the misfortune to be on the ice for eight of the last 12 goals the Sharks have given up.

With Jim Vandemeer getting less ice time than White, a lot of fans have trouble understanding why McLellan doesn’t use the former more and the latter less.

Those of us who cover the team have raised the question with McLellan a few times without getting a full answer. He’s under no obligation, of course, to disclose his thought process. Anyway, here’s the latest stab at it that I took today, prefacing things by noting how I always consider it to be part of my job to try and get inside a coach’s head.

(Save your empty-space jokes. He trotted out one himself.)

I suggested that maybe a lot of people who fashion themselves as coaches – myself included on rare occasion – might go a different direction and give Vandermeer at least a few more starts.

“Potentially. Jimmy has had some opportunities and he will get some more.”

Well, what are you seeing on the ice that I’m not seeing?

“I don’t know what you’re not seeing.”

I run a theory past him, one that I’ve held onto, that the Sharks believe they need Colin White at his best to be successful in the playoffs, that the ice time now is designed to get him to that point then. That it’s all about making sure players are ready to go in April and going forward.

“Yep, and we’ll have the right guys ready for April. Again, we’re not worried about April 8 right now. We’re worried about February 21.”

I think I’ve gotten to know when it might be worthwhile to press on. This wasn’t one of those times.

End of a cordial, if not particularly fruitful, discussion.

******The arrival of Dominic Moore last week would seem to recognize that Michal Handzus has not delivered what was expected of him as both seem to be competing for the spot of third-line center.

Handzus, who has seven goals and 22 points, acknowledged today that he knows he has to play better and is not satisfied with his year to this point. He didn’t need the presence of Moore – a player he praised – to realize that.

McLellan was asked what Moore’s arrival means for Handzus, and this was his response:

“Zus will dictate that actually with his play,” McLellan said. “Zus has been a real valuable player on our team. When we play this many games on the road we have to watch his minutes. Dominic can come in and alleviate that at times, but they’re both important players down the stretch and as far as we go.”

Handzus, the coach said, “has gone in spurts throughout the year where he’s going good and then it falls off a little bit. Right now we’d like to see him get it a little bit more. He’s very much a pro. You’re able to sit and talk with him and communicate. He knows that.”

By the way, Handzus recognized before the all-star break that his game was not where it needed to be and spent the four days working on his conditioning.

******The first three games between the Sharks and Blue Jackets this season have all had more than a little nastiness to them.

First there was that hit to the head of Andrew Desjardins by Dane Byers that earned the Blue Jacket (now back in the minors) a two-game suspension. Then there was that strange encounter between Dan Boyle and Rick Nash when it looked as if the two of them might drop the gloves. And most recently, there was the 6-0 San Jose victory at HP Pavilion that was interrupted by five fights, including one that saw Boyle wail away on another usual non-combatant, Derick Brassard.

Interim Columbus coach Todd Richards didn’t have an easy explanation for the first two games, but noted the score of the one when things went really haywire.

“Sometimes you get that when it’s a one-sided game. there’s a lot of pride going on and sometimes that’s the way it goes.”

Richards, of course, was an assistant in San Jose two stops before arriving in Columbus. Any chance he’s the common thread?

“No, I can’t see me being the reason why,” said a smiling Richards, who had just talked with some of his former players as the Sharks arrived for their optional skate at Nationwide Arena.

*******Shark fans have good reason to fret a little at this point as their team is not playing up to its potential and the season is getting late.

But consider this stat, courtesy of Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, and think what it must be like to be a fan of the Blue Jackets.

Tuesday night’s game will mark the 82nd – a full season spread over two – that Columbus will not have back-to-back regulation victories.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

Here is the comment about the Sharks in this week’s power rankings in which they plunged a staggering five spots:

A long, miserable road trip (1-3-1 so far) continues with four more games this week. The slide has allowed Phoenix to creep into Pacific Division discussion, a title that had appeared to be the Sharks’ by default.

It’s really 1-4. I hate how you don’t get a loss for an OT defeat. So deceptive.

Anyway. SIX days Doug Wilson. Noon on Monday is your deadline to get Alexander Semin or Nash or whomever else is available. ANYONE will be better than what you have now.

Dirty Bionic Eyeball

mlB.S.F-
I am responding to your avatar and not your post since I did not read it. I wish to thank you very much for finally selecting a highly recognizable avatar that makes it so much easier to keep on scrolling. Seriously, thanks!

Alright, Beer league, this is your final test. To see if you’ll achieve salvation.

Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian singer of folk, folk-rock and country (for the sake of completeness – I don’t want The Train picking this apart). And one of my favorites.

This is your last chance at redemption, though you did earn a few points with Emmylou, Cash and Willie.

Long Time No Cup

as to G. Lightfoot: Tendentious, tedious, interminable twaddle.

Next you’ll be telling us you have Anne Murray and Celine Dion pinups.

Neil Young, Feist, Arcade Fire are the Canadians you need.

Buddy Elf

JB: Great observations from last summer. Reminds me of when we picked up Nichol… people whined and whined about his shorter prior seasons, and how we shouldn’t have picked him up. Then people complained that we shouldn’t have gotten rid of him.

Hatrick Marleau

HttS,

I don’t like Semin. He is very streaky. He is also a locker room problem.

Yah… for #17… is it a trade? is it eating some Jack in the Box tacos in the press box tonight?

Nihoosum

First off, Randy and Drew are so much better than Peirre McGuire, Eddie Olcyk and Doc Emric, not to mention most of the other homer announcers on NHL teams’ local networks. One of our boys screws up, Randy calls him out. Most places that’s going to be a bad call by the ref or a lucky play by the other team. We don’t know how good we have it until the playoffs, when the “stars” take over the airwaves. Grrr.

Not to mention the fact the national networks don’t seem to understand how to broadcast hockey. At one point in Sunday’s game, there’s a shot of the back of the ref’s jersey for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven seconds. What’s up with that?

Secondly, I don’t have time to read these threads so someone might have brought this up, but it seems to me the trade for Dominic Moore means we have an extra third/fourth line center. Mitchell, I think, in on the block. He looks good. Fast, aggressive, and you have to watch for a while to see the downside of his game. I think this road trip is a marketing trip, and they’re showing off Mitchell, Wingels (on the first line? really?), and Demers as trade bait. Don’t know that you can get Nash for that package, but I can’t get past the idea one or more of them will be gone by Monday.

Buddy Elf

Stolen from a poster on Fear the Fin:
“31+8+17+5 = 61”

Doug H

The sharks are one of the few teams with 3 players on 20+ goals. if that doesnt speak to chemistry, im not sure what does.

we shouldnt be talking about trading for any defense, we were 5th best in the league for a lot of this season on defense, Niemi is posting a horrible save % right now which has seen a decrease in our faith in our D. White has made some boneheaded mistakes and niemis rebounds right into the slot havent helped…dont expect this trend to continue.

offensively we really havent had a problem finding the net, even with the redwings draped all over the boys every time they had the puck we put in 2. the refs let them get away with a ridiculous amount of holding/interference. columbus gives up a ton of ice on the blue line, and please for the love of all things hockey, PAY ATTENTION to how nash plays. this will be a great game to watch him since SJ is apparently one of his suitors. so we can see his mythical self generated offense, and blazing speed and puck handling that leaves our defense in awe. when in fact any goal they get will come from someone else.

Hatrick Marleau

Buddy Elf I get it.

Breaking News:
The Sharks have traded Torrey Mitchell and a Starbucks gift card for a lifetime supply of tacos. I heard Mitchell was just a throw in.

Hatrick Marleau

32+29=61=60+1(1st)

Hatrick Marleau

DP just said this on Twitter.

“Mitchell only skated one shift for #sjsharks after turnover that led to losing goal in DET on Sunday. Today’s situation not a big surprise.”

Buddy Elf

I wonder if we could shop Mitchell as a key component for a team to be able to get a better spot in the draft. Sure, he’d be a rental, but it’d be an investment in their future.

@LTNC: I may be *very* late to this party (skipped a few threads because the signal-to-spew ratio was out of control), but if it’s Canadian music you want, I have four letters for you:

Rush

You’re welcome.

tifososquali

Greiss or Nemo?

I vote for Greiss…

bigPavelski

I dont think we are asking the right question. its not whether Marleau or Thornton are good/bad players. They are without question two of the best players in the history of this organization. That will not change.

But does DW think they have the ability to lead this team to a championship? There are plenty of good/great players that for whatever reason dont seem to have the necessary intangibles to get a team to the “next” level. Has DW done a good job of providing a talented enough supporting cast to allow JT, PM, DB etc… to succeed.

If DW believes he has given the core of this team a fair shot and a good supporting cast then he must consider making changes if he wants a cup regardless of how good JT/PM are or how much they have meant to the organization.

But realistically I think they are here for another year. I dont see any reason why they would waive their NMC’s to go to another city.

It is no secret that Bay Area sports fans only support winners and SJ doesnt have the hockey culture or history to support a losing team. I think if the Sharks were to rebuild the tank would only have half full stadiums. DW is in a really tough spot. He has a team that will win division titles and fill the arena but doesnt seem to have the pedigree to win a championship. He might be too scared to blow it up and rock the boat. half filled stadiums dont support small market clubs.

whatever he chooses…go sharks!

i dont think Nash is the answer as much as it would be a desperation hail mary. He makes 8 million a year and his stats have been consistently dropping. Reminds me of Heatley. I think the issues arent solved on this team by one high priced scorer. How would the addition of Nash help with the PK, defensive zone coverage, weak goaltending- our most glaring weaknesses?

slappy

Buddy Elf@123
And dont forget hes a missile on skates and those type of speedy players dont come up for trade that often, maybe once in a life time.

Snow Shovel

Geri – Yup, Gordon Lightfoot, gotta pass on Rush. And you are LATE to the party. But I can understand the signal-to-noise ratio.

slappy

bigPavelski
“How would the addition of Nash help with the PK, defensive zone coverage, weak goaltending”
Nash isnt being pursued by teams like the Sharks because hes a well-rounded complete player. Nash is being sought after because he is a 1 dimensional goal scoring machine whos a younger presumably better conditioned version of Dany Heatley. If a team score more goals than the opposition, it makes up for booboos committed by the goalie or defense. I am guessing thats the thinking the GMs have about Nash cause youre right hes not a well rounded player like Pavs or Couture or Marleau.

@Snow Shovel — S’OK. I actually like folk music (one of my favorite albums is a Kingston Trio live album… that’s almost 50 years old). But you have to see a Rush concert, just to watch a Neil Peart drum solo live. You cannot describe what he does.

Back to the Sharks: I don’t care *who* they have on the ice tonight, they had better post a convincing win against Columbus. If they can’t even do that, well, it’s time to bench a few people. (For my money, benching Taco Mitchell is way overdue, and I give up on understanding why White plays while Vandermeer sits.)

Yes, I’m one step away from panic mode. But as I’ve said before, I’m a committed pessimist.

GP

Geri,

Rush!

Nuff said!

JB

The late comic Richard Jeni had a bit about playing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” at the end of parties to clear out the stragglers, with some substitute lyrics – very funny stuff.

Beer League

Snow Shovel,
IF I was looking for salvation, and a had to listen to Gordon Lightfoot to get there, I’d take the other option:-)

GP

Geri,

Don’t panic. Just breakout the 1st album and listen to “Working Man.” Better yet, the live version on “All the Worlds a Stage.”

I would like to see Griess get the start tonight. Not only does he play the puck better than Nemo, He holds onto it better than Mitchell.

Buddy Elf

“He holds onto it better than Mitchell.” ….LOL.

Yes, I concur… Moore Griess!

tifososquali

slappi, yep I guessed it would be Nemo, but I’d rather have Greiss tonight. Perhaps too riske for our conservative Mclovin who will back his horse till the ship is at the bottom of the sea…mmm not sure this analogy works but I understand it anyway.

How ya know that Nemo left the practice B4 Greiss?

Mike

I’d take today’s version of Rob Blake (even couch potato) over Brett Burns’ lack of awareness

The Sit Colin White and Play Jim Vandermeer Club [in conjunction with Snow “Free Vandermeer!” Shovel as charter members, short form: SCWaPJM]

The Put Greiss in Net and Give Niemi a Rest Club [short form: PGiNaGNaR]

That way, I just have to say I’m a member in good standing of these clubs, and it’s much shorter to post.

— Geri(h)atric, member in good standing SBoTTM, SCWaPJM & PGiNaGNaR

slappy

tifososquali @139
DP tweeted it.

Buddy Elf

New post.

Peninsula Shark

Slappy #131…. Very good points. That’s the big ? right now: Is a goal-scoring machine worth trading a well-rounded player for at this time for the Sharks, when it looks like the PK will be an adventure and we don’t seem to have a goalie who you can expect to steal playoff series with? I would say since Marleau has a NMC and Couture looks like this team’s future captain and face of the franchise, Pavelski is the guy who you hate to lose but could get you that top-line goal scorer who can make the difference between losing 3-2 or winning 3-2 in this league.

But the real issue is this: Are the Sharks realistically a Rick Nash away from being a Stanley Cup contender? Or are they simply even with Nash in place a very solid team that can win the Pacific Division, win a playoff series or two but just not quick enough or consistent enough between the pipes to win a very competitive Western Conference title and beyond?

If question one is a yes or even a maybe, then include Pavelski in a blockbuster trade for Nash and then if he puts you over the top sort your cap like the Blackhawks did after winning a Cup. If question two is a yes, then temper your expectations for now and hope your younger players like Couture, Pavelski, Vlasic, Burns and Greiss develop from promising to superstar levels and think about winning a Cup in 2015 or 2016.

MLBSF

People complain about me.

And I have to go scrolling through everyone’s slop about music.

I thought this was a hockey site, and I have to read the pollyannas go on and on and on with dozens of posts about music like this is the MTV site.

I’m starting to think alcohol is involved and it’s only morning.

GP

Geri,

I’m not as much into the records much after “Subdivisions.” I still like it, but prefer earlier I guess. More guitar oriented.

I think they throw “not the norm” timing sigs in many songs and change them during too. But, Rush, are simply nerds. When Rush opened for KISS in the early days, Gene Simmons was struck that they didn’t party after a show with the rest.

To tie this to hockey at the tank, I am a proud member of “Play only Rush” in between whistles at the Tank.

Beer League

MLBSF,
People complain about you cause you do things like call people pollyannas, among other things! IRH